Grigore N. Filipescu (also known as Griguță Filipescu, Francized as Grégoire Filipesco; October 1, 1886 – August 25, 1938) was a Romanian politician, journalist and engineer, the chief editor of Epoca daily between 1918 and 1938. He was the scion of an aristocratic conservative family, son of the statesman Nicolae Filipescu and a collateral descendant of Alexandru II Ghica. During the early stages of World War I, he and his father led a pro-Allied dissident wing of the Conservative Party. After serving on the front, and behind the lines to 1918, as aide to General Alexandru Averescu, Filipescu Jr. became his political adviser. He had a stint in the Labor Party, merged into Averescu's own People's Party. Filipescu served as the latter group's tactician and campaigner, but had irreconcilable differences with Averescu.
Known as an antagonist who fought duels with his political rivals, Filipescu switched parties frequently, hoping to coalesce the conservative groups around himself. He served terms in Parliament and held several other public commissions as an affiliate of the Romanian National Party, the Conservative-Democratic Party, and the National Peasants' Party. In 1929, he founded his own Vlad Țepeș League (later branded "Conservative Party"), which was instrumental in ensuring the ascendancy to the throne of King Carol II, the banished heir. The League participated in the coalition backing Prime Minister Nicolae Iorga, but spoke out against Iorga's debt relief legislation. Withdrawing from government, Filipescu remained one of the few politicians who still supported economic liberalism during the Great Depression.
Although suspected of harboring authoritarian tendencies, Filipescu was a public critic of fascism, who supported a continental alliance against Nazi Germany and a pragmatic rapprochement with the Soviet Union. This cause brought him an international reputation, but failed to win him popularity at home. In his final years, before his death from unsuccessful blood transfusion in Geneva, Filipescu stood out as a critic of King Carol, joining efforts with Iuliu Maniu and Nicolae Titulescu. His parallel career as a civil servant and businessman had culminated in his appointment as Romanian Telephone Company president, in which capacity he served from 1930 to the time of his death. This assignment was also marked by scandals involving his confirmed wiretapping of political targets, and also his alleged mismanagement.
Biography
Early life and career The future politician native was born in Bucharest on October 1, 1886Popescu (2012), p. 18 (some sources have January 30, 1884).I. L., "†Grigore Filipescu", in Dreptatea, August 27, 1938, p. 1 Grigore was the first of five children born to Nicolae Filipescu and his wife Maria Blaremberg; he had a brother, Constantin, and three sisters, as well as an adoptive brother, Vlad Stolojan-Filipescu. He came from an old boyar family on his father's side: the Filipescus had founded the eponymous town Filipeștii de Târg, ca. 1600.Paulina Brătescu, Ion Moruzi, C. Alessandrescu (eds.), Dicționar geografic al județului Prahova, p. 201. Târgoviște: Tipografia și Legătoria de Cărți Viitorul, Elie Angelescu, 1897. His great-grandparents were Hatman Nicolae Filipescu and Safta Hrisoscoleu, who were also the maternal grandparents of Ion G. Duca,George Fotino, Din vremea renașterii naționale a țării românești: Boierii Golești. II: 1834–1849, pp. 44, 279, 297. Bucharest: Monitorul Oficial, 1939 Grigore's later rival in politics. His great-granduncle, Alecu Filipescu-Vulpea, had served as Logothete and Ban to the court of Wallachia.Nicolae Iorga, "Prefață", in Constantin Căpitanul Filipescu, Istoriile domnilor Țării-Românești cuprinzînd istoria munteană de la început până la 1688, pp. XXX–XXXI, XXXVI–XXXVII. Bucharest: I. V. Socecu, 1902. On his mother's side, Grigore descended from the Franco–Russian Blarembergs and, collaterally, from the Ghica family. His great-grandfather, Colonel Vladimir de Blaremberg, claimed Huguenot lineage, but was more likely an illegitimate Bourbon. Eugen Marola, "Cine au fost Blarembergii?", in Historia, November 2015 Vladimir had married a sister of Prince Alexandru II Ghica. Their union produced three sons, of whom politician Nicolae Moret Blaremberg was the eldest, and Constantin, Filipescu's grandfather, was the second born. Married to Maria Băleanu, he inherited most of the Ghica estate in Moara Vlăsiei, which later went to the Filipescus.Ion, pp. 207–208 Grigore's cousins on the Ghica side included philanthropist Vladimir Ghika and diplomat Dimitrie I. Ghika, who was briefly Minister of Foreign Affairs. Andrei Brezianu, "Vladimir Ghika și Cortina de fier", in Convorbiri Literare, July 2009; Mihai Sorin Rădulescu, "Un pictor fin de siècle", in România Literară, Issue 17/2009
During Grigore Filipescu's youth, his father was increasing his wealth as an industrialist, establishing an oil mill in his other estate, at Filipești-Surdila. This investment greatly contributed to the spread of sunflower cultivation in eastern Romania.Ioan de pe Văcarea, "Trebuința unei noui orientări în afacerile noastre economice. Pentru Țara Oltului. II", in Olteanul, Issue 29/1915, pp. 1–2 Filipescu Jr grew up conscious of his boyar privilege, arguing that his paternal family "has always known how to love the peasants with all its heart, how to defend and guide them. He pointed out that the first peasant obște in [modern] Romania was formed on his grandfather's estate". He was also quoted as saying that, in the aftermath of a peasants' revolt in early 1907, "the Filipescu estate granted the most well-arranged deals—allowing peasants to keep two thirds [of what they produced]"."Marea întruniri a partidului național român din Băilești Dolj. Sosirea dlor deputați Gr. Filipescu și părintele Man în gară — Plecarea spre Băltești — Cuvântările — Consfătuirea din Craiova", in Patria, March 16, 1923, p. 3
After attending primary school in Bucharest, Grigore prepared for middle-school with his father's employee, the writer Alexandru Antemireanu,Alexandru George, "Opinii. O epocă în așteptarea unei definiții", in Luceafărul, Issue 11/1999, p. 10 and was eventually sent to Lycée Louis-le-Grand. In 1902, he enrolled in the Zürich Polytechnic, graduating in 1907. Upon becoming an engineer, he studied at the law faculty of the University of Paris, earning a qualification as a lawyer.Popescu (2012), pp. 18–19. See also Potra, p. 563 During that interval, he had left-wing sympathies, attending events organized by Barbu Lăzăreanu and Christian Rakovsky. He witnessed Rakovsky's disputes with Romanian nationalists, which, as he wrote in 1912, gave him the certainty that socialism would eventually win.Florian Tănăsescu, Marian Ștefan, "Grupurile socialiste române de la Paris la început de secol", in Magazin Istoric, July 1975, p. 10 In 1909, Filipescu married Ioana (born 1890), daughter of Matei B. Cantacuzino and a representative of the Cantacuzene aristocrats. The couple lived on Nicolae Filipescu Street, in Bucharest, in a house designed by Ion D. Berindey; they had no children.Popescu (2012), p. 18. See also Trohani, p. 226 By 1910, the younger Filipescu was also a promoter of sports. This passion ran in the family: Constantin Blaremberg had enjoyed horse racing, and pioneered sports journalism with the newspaper Sportul.Ion, p. 208 Filipescu himself was a great lover of fencing, both as spectator and as participant. In November 1911 he organized the largest athletic event in Romania up to that date, himself taking part in matches.Popescu (2012), p. 34 The following year, alongside Crown Prince Carol, Ottokar Czernin, and Alexandru Davila, he took part in the wax bullet dueling competition of Sinaia, designed as marksmanship practice.Don Pedro, "Din Sinaia. Concursul de pistol", in Adevărul, July 17, 1912, p. 2 He was also passionate about horse racing, operating the Filipescu Stables, which won him the Peril Jaune Award at Băneasa Racecourse (October 1915)."Cronica sportivă. Alergările dela Băneasa", in Viitorul, October 18, 1915, p. 4
While it appears Filipescu never practiced law, as an engineer he worked on several projects, the most important of which was the Câmpina–Constanța petroleum pipeline.Popescu (2012), p. 19 In late 1912, he left for New York City, where he studied the American pipeline system."Știri. 20 Decemvrie v. 1912. Conducta de patrol Băicoi–Constanța", in Gazeta Transilvaniei, Issue 281/1912, p. 3 During his trip there, he obtained an interview with former US President Theodore Roosevelt. According to Filipescu, his interlocutor was well versed in Romanian history, could speak some Romanian, and closely followed developments in the ongoing Balkan War."Știri. 22 Februarie 1913. Fostul președinte Roosevelt vorbește românește", in Gazeta Transilvaniei, Issue 43/1913, p. 3 For his merits in building up the local oil industry, Filipescu would later receive the Legion of Honour and the Order of Ferdinand I. At the beginning of his political career, Filipescu belonged to his father's Conservative Party (PC), which competed for power with the National Liberal Party (PNL). Filipescu Jr first rose to prominence during the earliest stages of World War I, when Romania was still a neutral country: in late 1914, he joined a commission headed by Colonel Vasile Rudeanu, which was tasked with negotiating arms deals in Italy, France, and Switzerland.István Koszta, "Ködoszlás. A román dilemma. Gorlice/Tarnów előtt és után", in Székelyföld, Vol. XX, Issue 1, January 2016, pp. 95–96; Vasile Popa, "Activitatea misiunilor militare române în perioada neutralității armate (1914–1916)", in Revista Document. Buletinul Arhivelor Militare, Issue 2/2014, pp. 30, 36
According to the PNL press, Filipescu was in a conflict of interest for serving as a functionary (in the Ministry of Agriculture and Royal Domains)"Mici Polemici", in Opinia, July 18, 1915, p. 1 to August 15, 1915, while also joining the staff of Delaunay House, which operated public contracts at the War Ministry,"Ultima oră. Scrisoarea d-lui Nicolae Filipescu — O interpelare", in Viitorul, November 6, 1915, p. 3 and serving on the steering board of Marmorosch Blank Bank, which supplied oat for the Romanian Land Forces."Ultima oră. Ultime informațiuni", in Viitorul, October 26, 1915, p. 3 A satirical note in Opinia newspaper characterized his tenure as "permanent furlough". Grigore was reportedly incensed by these accusations, as well as by PNL-mounted attacks on his father. On November 4, 1915, his attempt to crash the Bucharest offices of Viitorul newspaper resulted in his being pummeled and lightly injured by his adversaries."Agresiunea samsarului Grigore N. Filipescu", in Viitorul, November 5, 1915, p. 3; "Șugubețe. 'Ia-l de pe mine'...", in Viitorul, November 11, 1915, p. 1 Days later, Filipescu pounced upon Viitorul editor M. D. Berlescu, their scuffle ending only when passers-by intervened."Entre Roumains", in Le Petit Comtois, November 19, 1915, p. 2